Minneapolis Property Management Blog

How to Get the Best Tenant in My Rental Property | St. Paul Tenant Screening Advice

Deb Newell - Monday, October 10, 2016

So how do you get the best tenants for your St. Paul rental property? That’s a really good question and it has a really simple answer: you screen them.

Poor Screening Leads to Poor Tenants

Many times, owners will come to us after the fact. They are having problems because they have already placed a tenant who was never screened properly. It doesn’t take long for that tenant to become difficult or to stop paying rent. In some cases, property owners have had to deal with major property damage from tenants they didn’t screen. No one wants this to happen, and that’s why screening an applicant is so vital and important. It builds a foundation for what you expect from the people you place in your property.

Things to Consider When Screening

Screen for things like rental history and income verification. It’s important to collect landlord references, and then contact those current and former landlords to find out what kind of tenant this person has been in the past. Ask for pay stubs or other documentation to prove that the tenant earns enough to pay rent on time every month. Do a complete credit check to see if the tenants have been responsible with money, and if they pay their bills on time. You also want to do a criminal background check so you aren’t putting anyone dangerous into your property. All of these things can be done by a professional property manager, and good management companies will dig a little deeper to make sure only the best tenants are approved to live in your home.

Publish Rental Criteria

When you’re looking for a property management company, make sure they screen their applicants well. You’ll want to

see what kind of criteria they use to approve or decline applicants, and it’s a good idea to have that information posted on their website so potential tenants will know what kind of requirements are necessary when applying for a home.

If you have any questions about tenant screening, please contact us at Real-Time Leasing.